Japan as the host of the WCh fielded a physically small (average 194 cm)
and very inexperienced team (on average 20 international matches) directed by
player 8 Ogina (171 international matches) as captain. With their emotional and
committed manner, with strengths in defence (best team) they won the expert
audience’s great sympathy and recognition. As a consequence of deficits in the
skills (attack, serve and block), which had an essential influence on the
result, they won only 5 matches and suffered 6 defeats, and were finally placed
8th behind Russia.

With a big portion of float and jump float serves
(appr. 50 %), as well as jump serves (partly powerful and with spin) the team was
not able to achieve the necessary effect and efficiency, as the leading nations
did.

Regardless of the kind of serve, passing was done
only in 3-player formation. Libero player 15 Tsumagari organised the reception
formations brilliantly, and he was able to put himself well into the limelight
by his outstanding agility and speed (ranking: place 9).

The inexperienced setter player 18 Tomonage (2
international matches), who is technically skilled, flexible and quickly in the
place of action, was convincing by precise and often long sets. The
distribution of the balls and the organisation of the game were transparent and
limited to basic combinations

Other than in the typical distribution of tasks
in rotation 1 (reception and conclusion of attack), player 7 Yamamoto (opposite
player) is standing at the right and attacks via position 2. Player 8 Ogino,
standing at position 2 in the reception formation, is running across the whole
court in order to attack at position 4. Short jump float serves to Ogino often
destroyed their options of attack.

Because of their small body height they try to attenuate
the opponent’s attacks by passive blocking techniques. On excellent passing by
the opponent, the blockers at the middle of the net mostly jumped, too, so that
they could not join the group block in case of balls to the outside positions.

By good positional play in defence, combined with
brilliant technique and high physical commitment they won the title of best
defending team. In attacking transition, they utilized increasingly the
potential of the outside attackers as well as the strengths of player 7 Yamamoto
via back court position 1.